Politics

President Barack Obama escalated the drone war he has conducted for the past five and a half years by declaring his intention to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, or ISIL. Since August 8, Obama has mounted at least 154 airstrikes in Iraq. He will send 475 additional US troops, increasing the total number in Iraq to about 1,600. Obama announced he would conduct “a systematic campaign of airstrikes” in Iraq, and possibly in Syria.

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, the scribes and the pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

 Several years of preparation and creation of infrastructure, months of discussing the agenda, a week of the summit and many million fireworks. All this is about the summit of Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Russky Island (Vladivostok) in 2012.